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If You Are Too Tired to Think, Walk Up Stairs

Sleep-deprived young women felt more energized after climbing up stairs than after consuming 50 mg of caffeine.

If you are feeling too tired to concentrate, try walking up stairs. Even though it seems paradoxical, scientists have found that climbing up stairs can overcome fatigue.

How Does Walking Up Stairs Affect Your Energy Level?

Researchers at the University of Georgia compared stair climbing to 50 mg of caffeine. That is about how much caffeine you find in a can of soda; people frequently drink soda to combat fatigue.

The study volunteers were 18 college women who were chronically sleep deprived. They took either caffeine or placebo in pill form. Then they answered questions about their feelings of alertness or fatigue.

Climbing Stairs Was More Energizing Than Caffeine:

When the subjects spent 10 minutes walking up and down stairs, the young women experienced an improvement in energy that was greater than that produced by 50 mg of caffeine.

Randolph & O’Connor, Physiology & Behavior, online, March 14, 2017

Ideally, of course, these students would find ways to get more sleep. That would be the best way to counteract their fatigue. People can’t always sleep more, though, whether because they don’t have enough time or because they have insomnia. If you have trouble falling asleep, you may be interested in our Guide to Getting a Good Night’s Sleep.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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